Thursday, December 29, 2016

Seventeen-year-old Audrey Rose Wadsworth was born a lord's daughter, with a life of wealth and privilege stretched out before her. But between the social teas and silk dress fittings, she leads a forbidden secret life.

Against her stern father's wishes and society's expectations, Audrey often slips away to her uncle's laboratory to study the gruesome practice of forensic medicine. When her work on a string of savagely killed corpses drags Audrey into the investigation of a serial murderer, her search for answers brings her close to her own sheltered world.

Stalking Jack the Ripper turned out to be an incredibly enjoyable book! I was a little skeptical of this book, so I was so happy when I ended up really liking this book.

The thing I loved the most about this book was the characters, especially the two main characters. The main female character, Audrey Rose, was freaking awesome. Audrey was a character who was easy to like, trust, root for and connect to. I admired her passion and desire to be the best she could be. She wanted justice for the victims of Jack the Ripper, and I really liked how dedicated she became to figuring out the mystery. What really made me love Audrey was the way she stood up for herself and women in general in a time period where women weren't well respected. Audrey constantly reminded the male characters that she was just as smart and capable as any male. She proved that she didn't need a man's help to get a job done. I made me want to jump for joy anytime Audrey's feminist side showed."I sighed. I'd never understand the way a man's mind worked. My gender didn't handicap me."

"I needed no man to empower me."

DON'T MESS WITH AUDREY ROSE.

Now it's time to talk about the other main character, Thomas Cresswell. Ugh, I loved him so much. Thomas was snarky and kind of arrogant, but he was also witty, passionate, caring, loyal, and incredibly smart. Thomas was always one step ahead of everyone, and I knew I could trust him to figure things out. I really enjoyed the fact that he was basically a sexy and younger version of Sherlock Holmes, and Audrey Rose was his Watson. His ability to solve mysteries blew my mind and fascinated me. He was AWESOME.

I NEED MORE OF THOMAS. I NEED MORE OF HIS HILARIOUS COMMENTARY. I NEED MORE OF HIS SWOONINESS AND PERFECTION.“You look quite lovely today, Audrey Rose.” He stepped forward, staring down at me, and I fought to keep my eyes from fluttering shut. Thomas drew closer until I was convinced my blood would explode from my body like fireworks splattering across the night sky. “Perhaps you should comment on the excellent cut of my suit. I look rather handsome today as well. Don’t you think?”

“I don’t blame you, I am rather attractive. The tall, dark hero of your dreams, swooping in to save you with my vast intellect. You should accept my hand at once.”

As soon as Thomas was introduced, I knew he was going to be a love interest for Audrey Rose. I wasn't sure if I was going to like the romance since it felt so predictable. Man, I was WRONG! I loved the romance in this book, despite the predictability. The passion and chemistry within their banter felt palpable. Anytime Audrey and Thomas interacted, it usually ended with me having a smile on my face. Their personalities work so well together that I couldn't help but ship the heck out of them. I can see where some people might think their romance was "insta-love", but I personally didn't view it that way. I thought their romance developed at a fun and believable pace. They had instant attraction and chemistry, but I would not say it was instant love at all.

The mystery within this novel was gripping and addictive, even though I found it a little predictable. I was able to solve the mystery from pretty early on in this book, which made the reveal feel anti-climatic for me. The reveal just didn't pack as much as a punch as I was hoping for. However, the mystery and plot of this book were still extremely entertaining and captivating.

The detailed descriptions of the murder scenes and bodies of the victims were morbid. The author did not hold anything back when describing those images. It made me feel sick, but I really liked that the author didn't shy away from the gruesome truth! I also thought the setting added an intriguing element to the book. The author clearly did a lot of research for this novel, and it definitely paid off!

Overall, this was a fascinating, funny, romantic, mysterious, and addictive read. I am so glad I finally picked this book up! I am SO EXCITED to get my hands on book two because I cannot wait to see what my favorite characters get up to in the next novel.